I think I now understand why method actors must be in character all the time--not so much because it's necessary (it's not!) but because it gives them something to do when they're sitting around doing nothing. Then they can enjoy "acting" the whole time they're on the set (and even off it). Otherwise, when making a movie, you get the joy of acting for about 5 minutes a day, tops.
I perform at Murder Mystery events and in those cases, I'm in character and acting from the time I arrive until the time I leave. Lots of improv, interacting and reacting to real people in real time. They're fun to do, like a stage show sans stage, but they're more about performing than acting.
Performing vs Acting--the difference? Acting is unconscious, performing is conscious. At least that's my definition.
Acting in movies is about the preparation, getting to know the character, to feel them inside and out. What's their background. How do they feel? How do they move? That's fun and that takes time. But once you're on the set, it's mostly a game of energy--how do you keep it up after hours of doing nothing drag you down. That's why my napping secret is so vital! Today I had to nap for an entire hour on a leather sofa. It's hard work, and not something to be done without proper training!
Today's shoot was especially dull, because it was all montage shots, without sound (MOS, or "Mit Out Sound" because so many of the early film directors were German), we're in a meeting, looking interested, pointing things out on blueprints, looking hopeful, concerned, disappointed. I was having a conversation in my head, but somehow I could feel my face moving, which probably isn't good. It's best if I don't remember what my face or body are doing.
My favorite part of the day was seeing how expressive I can be when only my shoulders were in view--"back acting". (Katherine Hepburn was a master of the "back acting," where you could tell, just from seeing her back, how she felt--look for it in "Desk Set," the scene in her apartment with Spencer Tracey--watch her body language, her neck, hands--and yes, even her back. And watch her in The Philidelphia Story because near the end, when Jimmy Stewart is carrying her, she even does brilliant "toe acting." Meryl can act from any side, the soles of her feet can act, even in pitch blackness.)
In the past my rule of thumb for silent extra work was this, "Do progressively larger actions until someone tells you to stop," and nobody ever did. It worked again today. Hopefully I wasn't actually too big, in which case they'll just cut me out. But since most of the shots were long, I didn't get a closeup of my own (which, frankly, confuses me, I know I'm a supporting character, and the lead character at this point in the story has just done something unspeakable--which is why I won't speak of it--and my character is unaware and even cheerfully oblivious--but please, shouldn't this be about me... I mean, "Bob?")
Very few actors will admit this, no, let me rephrase this, no other actor will admit this, because it's just stupid but the highlights of today were:
- Back acting
- MOS acting with the kind of subtlety that could pass for a silent film from the 20s.
- Butternut Squash soup by chef Marcela Dirks
- Salt and pepper potato chips by Kettle Chips
If you gave truth serum to most people on a set, they would admit that one of the draws of movie making is that there's always a long table, covered with free food.
It doesn't particularly matter what the food is--in fact, a "crafts services" table, as it's called, is a often just an excuse to eat badly--look, free cookies (yes, they're cheap and hard and stale but they're cookies and they're free)! Don't bother me, I'm wolfing down candy corn from last Halloween and loving it!
But the food on this set is almost too good. "Almost" because some of the crew actually complained about the lack of candy, so candy has been provided. But everything else is organic, fair-trade, healthy and delicious. OK, so I'm not sure about the healthiness of the salt-and-pepper potato chips but they made me happy, which leads to mental health.
Oh, laugh now--in 20 years you're going to be reading this as the cover story in JAMA, the Journal of American Medicine--mark my words. And, in the mean time, eat chips.
The other joy of being on a film set--you're in your own little world. There's no TV news. No newspapers. No everyday life. Just you, your character, other actors and their characters, and the crew, who tend to be characters themselves.
Bottom line--it's fun.
